1. Field of Invention
The invention is a cheese briner, which chills and brines a cheese block, in an open conduit, through which is pumped chilled brine at a salt saturation level that will float the cheese block. The floating cheese block is transported by the brine flow from the entrance of the conduit to the end of the conduit.
2. Background Art
Cheese curd formed in the cheese making process is heated in a cooker-molder until the curd melts; the melted curd is pumped into a stainless steel mold to form a block.
The stainless steel mold containing the melted curd is chilled to harden the outside of the cheese block; the block is then removed from the mold.
The block is taken to a refrigerated room in which tanks containing salt brine are kept.
The block is placed in the brining tank to reduce the block temperature, and to brine the cheese. Chilled salt brine is sprayed over the cheese brining tanks so that all surfaces of the cheese block are coated with brine.
Chilling of the block, by the refrigerated brine, is done to reduce the center core temperature of the cheese block to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, at which temperature the cheese can be processed. While the block is being chilled, the cheese block absorbs salt from the brine which displaces moisture in the cheese and flavors the cheese.
Some cheeses such as presalted mozzarella are brined for three or four hours. Other types of cheeses such as swiss, muenster and provolone are brined for 30 hours or more. An example of a cheese requiring longer brining time is Parmesan, which is brined for 72 hours.
After the cheese has been brined, the cheese blocks are removed from the brining tanks for further processing or are taken to storage for ageing.
The prior art brining system described requires handling and moving blocks from mold to brine tank, and from brine tank to further processing.
It is an object of the invention to eliminate much of the handling of the cheese block now required. It is also an object of the invention to perform the required brining in any available room to eliminate the separate refrigerated brining room.